The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-12-31

The Year 1897.
To-day completes the roll Of the year 1887.
Neither at home nor abroad have there
occurred events either SO great or so memoir
able as to give the year a conspicuous place
in the worlds records. Yet when viewed in
its entirety the chronicle Of 1887 is a startling
category of changes that have followed in
bewildering numbers and with surprising
rapidity.
In our own prosperous State, who year
ago. would have prophesied that the wheel
of time and change would have reyolved half
so far as it has? A Governor was then
inaugurated with sentiments of respect and
confidence which seemed to indicate that for
two years at least, and probably for longer
time, the administration of the affairs of the
State had been marked out. All this was
changed by the death of Governor Bodwell;
and for the sadness of that most unexpected
event. there was the single consolation that
the administration of affairs had fallen into
able and experienced hands. In ordinary
times, under our form of government, the
removal of even the best magistrate, is an
event that can have little adverse influence
on the welfare of the people. That Maine
has been very prosperous In 1887 few will
doubt. In the cities and villages the new
houses that have been built and the new
homes that have been founded have been so
numerous as to occasion much comment.
The report of our savings institutions. and
of the railways of the State show that the
people have been very busy and that pros
perity has attended their efforts Across the
northern part of our State a new railroad
has been building this year, by foreigners
with foreign capital, it is true. but tits never
theless a valuable improvement and has
already begun to contribute to the prosperity
OF Maine, especially in the great numbering
regions In agriculture, in spite OF the fail
ure of few leading crops, the year has been
prosperous, and the yearly meeting of the
Changers found the order fourishing and the
farmers contented. The other great indus
tries Of the State have also prospered, and,
under changed conditions brought about by
legislation, the workingmen and women
have continued more than usually contented.
The ten-hourllaw enacted by the passage of
the Looney bill last winter, went into opera
tion with hardly a jar; and the Bureau of
Labor Statistics has been established in the
confidence of capitalists and laborers alike.
OF great calamities there have been none
such as made the year 1886 so dark for East
port and Pennington. Yet Kennebunkport
suffered severely from a fire, and nearly a
hundred thousand dollars worth of property
was wiped out in July afternoon in the
yard Of the New England Shipbuilding Com
pany at Bath. But Kennebunkport, with
Eastport and Pennington is recovering, and
Baths great industry recovered from the
blow with unexpected readiness. The
greatest sensations of the year. so far
as criminal matters are concerned, have
been the exploit of young McNeally, the APP
prehension Of Stain and Cromwell for the
Dexter Bank robbery, and the assault and
robbery of Peter Bennett the wealthy miser
OF Plymouth. In sports no more interest
was ever taken in Maine than was felt this
year At Maranocook Teemer defeated
Gaudaur in race for the championship for
America; and at Worcester, Mass, Bowdoin
rowed with Cornell remarkable race in
which the boys from Maine were defeated
by two feet. In base ball Bowdoin lost the
college pennant to Colby, and among the pro-
fessional players Portland's pennant went to
Lowell Throughout Maine the interest in
sport was very general, and occupied sur
prisingly large share Of public attention.
OF prominent men, natives or citizens of
the State the list of those who have died is
not long, but is impressive. Governor Bod
well. the chief magistrate of the State, of
course heads the list in which are included
the names Of Hon. Arson p. Morrill,, Hon.
Bion Bradbury, Campmeeting John Allen,
Samuel Blake, the wealthy citizen of Ban
gor, William B. Hayford, ex-Mayor of Ban
gor, l. S. Kalloch, ex-mayor of San Francis
co and a native of Maine, Hon Isaac Reed,
Of Waldoboro, Hon. Franklin Treat of
Rhode Island, long prominent citizen of
Maine, Sylvanus Cobb, the novelist, Prof.
John Avery, of Bowdoin College, Prof.
Moses Lyford, of Colby University, Presi-
dent Roswell ID. Hitchcock, of Union Theo-
logical Seminary and a native of Maine, DR..
n. T. True, of Bethel, the we'll known edu-
Gator, Rev. Charles Miller. the vener-
able Baptist clergyman of Skowhegan,
Hon. John f. Anderson, State Railroad COM
missioner, and Daniel w. Fessenden, ESQ.,,
Of Portland, and Elihu b. Washburne, of ILL
noiS, native Of Maine.
In the nation the year has, on the whole,
been one of prosperity. Fears Of financial
panic in the summer were queted by
the action of the Treasury Department
In reducing the rapidly increasing sur
plus by the purchase Of bonds in the open
market. In other respects the conduct Of
the administration during the year just past
has been worthy of less commentator.
President Cleveland has shown plainly that
he intends to be second time candidate Of
his party; and to effect his purpose he has
thrown to the winds his former pro-
LESSONS of reform, and applied himself
to gaining popularity in his own party
by discreditabe means. The Maryland
reformers, among whom were the best
citizens of both parties, received no encour-
agement from the President, who lent the
aid Of his high place to crush them. In New
York city man shown to be unfit, both as
regards his public and private character re-
ceived the Presidents endorsement for the
District Attorneyship; and in Massachusetts
Mr.. Cleveland endorsed q candidate who
represented the worst elements of the Bay
State Democracy, Republican Office hold
ers, against whom no charge could be made
except the charge that they were Republic
cans, have been removed one after another,
until in many places, notably the State OF
Maine, the change has amounted to a clean
sweep. Not only has the Presidents policy
deteriorated; so have his advisers. The first
OF the year Daniel Manning, the most astute
and the ablest of the men who rallied around
the new administration, was obligedsby fail
ing health to leave the Cabinet, of,.which he
was the principal ornament. Last week Mr.
Manning was buried at Albany. His loss to
the administration is such that it is not
likely to be repaired by anysof Mr.. Cleve-
lands Heterogeneous. OF the great public
questions those concerning the disposition of
the surplus and the fisheries dispute are
pressing for solution, though what that solu-
ton will be is extremely uncertain. For the
cause OF temperance the last year has been
fraught with important occurrences. In
Michigan, In Tennessee and Texas constitu-
tional amendments have been defeated, and
In Atlanta a nonular vote has resulted in n